Decentralized and distributed supervision of discrete-event systems

Abstract

In applications of supervisory control, especially to large systems made up of several component subsystems and with several individual specifications, it is generally advantageous to decompose the monolithic supervisor accordingly, both for greater computational feasibility and for enhanced transparency of control action. A risk, however, is that component modular supervisors may conflict and result in blocking, leading to the often difficult requirement of effective coordination. This chapter introduces the formal issues involved.